Haggis

Traditional Scottish haggis contains lung (which is commercially banned in the US) and is boiled in a sheep's stomach lining (which can be hard to come by and tricky to work with). As such, this version omits the lung and stomach lining steps but still retains much of the authentic flavors in the final product. Any good butcher should be able to source the heart, tongue, liver and suet without too much trouble.

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Directions

For the wet ingredients: Remove the bones, fat and sinew from the lamb tongue and cut into manageable 1-inch cubes. Remove any fat, sinew and ventricles from the lamb heart and cut into manageable 1-inch cubes. Remove any fat and sinew from the liver and cut into manageable 1-inch cubes.

Peel the onions and dice into 1-inch chunks.

Separate the suet from the sinew and finely chop the fat, discarding the sinew.

Put the cubed tongue and heart into a large pot. Cover with water by 4 inches, bring to a boil on high heat and then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Add the liver and allow to simmer for a further 20 minutes. Add the diced onions and allow to simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Ladle out and reserve 4 cups of the cooking liquid (offal stock) from the pot before draining out the contents into a colander. Return the hot offal-onion mixture into the pot and stir in the chopped suet.

Grind the mixture using a hand grinder or electric mixer attachment.

For the dry ingredients: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Spread the rolled oats on a sheet tray and bake until golden brown, stirring regularly, about 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F.

Pour the oats into a large container and add the cumin, paprika, rosemary, thyme, cayenne and some salt and black pepper.

Add the ground offal-onion mixture to the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly with your hands. Add enough of the reserved offal stock to bind the mixture together. It should feel like a wet meatball but still be able to hold its shape when squeezed into a ball.

Test the spice levels and seasonings by sauteing a small piece and tasting. Adjust the spices and seasonings to your liking.

Once the seasoning is correct, put the filling into an ovenproof dish that is big enough to take all the mixture, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours to meld the flavors and allow the suet to disperse through the mixture.

To serve: For a traditional haggis supper, serve with "neeps" (turnips), "tatties" (potatoes) and a generous neat single-malt whiskey.

For a fish and chip shop serving, form a ball of haggis, dredge in seasoned flour, dunk in beer batter and fry in 375 degree F canola oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional. It has not been tested for home use.